Delhi erupts over lynching of Hindu man in Bangladesh; protest outside High Commission

Members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other Hindu organisations marched towards the High Commission, prompting Delhi Police to tighten security near the Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus Metro Station.

Police erected multiple barricades along San Martin Marg to stop the protesters, informing them that they would not be allowed to proceed further.

Despite this, demonstrators broke through the first layer of barricades before being halted at a second security cordon.

The protest followed the lynching of Das amid escalating unrest in Bangladesh after the killing of prominent youth activist Sharif Osman Hadi.

According to police and local media reports in Bangladesh, Das, a garment factory worker and resident of Bhaluka Upazila in Mymensingh, was beaten to death by a mob late Thursday night after being accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam.

Eyewitnesses and officials said the attackers tied Das to a tree and set him on fire. Disturbing videos of the incident later surfaced on social media, triggering widespread outrage and condemnation.

Some reports claimed the body was later dragged onto a nearby road and burned again, highlighting the brutality of the attack.

The lynching occurred amid nationwide protests and violence triggered by Hadi’s death, reportedly from gunshot wounds, which has led to clashes between demonstrators and security forces in Dhaka and other cities, as well as attacks on media establishments.

Kolkata too saw major unrest on Tuesday after protests by Hindutva organisations escalated into violent clashes with the police. Demonstrators breached barricades, fires were reported in several areas and injuries were sustained, forcing police to use lathi charges to restore order.